Sanji contemplated going home, but he had already made it so far, and he had not stayed up late the previous night half asking his math assignment only to not turn it in. No, he couldn't skip out on school but there was no other way in. All of the other doors had been kept locked ever since the incident with the flaming trash cans three years prior. The students were only allowed one way in and one way out, which was understandable considering some parts of the school still had the lingering smells of burnt plastics and refuse. However, this forced Sanji to go right past the two thugs.

They stood like gargoyles at the top of the stairs on either side of the door, except maybe a bit more ugly. Bald and bruteish or blond and brutish they were both people he would highly prefer to avoid.

So, Sanji dipped into his rucksack and pulled out his half assed math assignment. He buried his face in it, holding it much closer than any reasonable person might, and joined in with the flow of students entering the school. Sanji kept his head down, not daring so much as a glance to either side as he passed the sentry points of the two sacks of violence and ill intent. Once inside the school, among the reassuring chatter and laughter of students, the slamming of lockers, the occasional shout Sanji felt a bit more reassured. Things were just as normal as they had always been.

At least until a couple of figures stepped into Sanji’s path. Fortunately, it wasn't Zach nor Rett, but these two guys didn't look all that particularly friendly. Buzzed hair and hard looks, one even had a scar on his face, and- as per usual with the people giving Sanji trouble- they were very big. Sanji tried to turn around, but a third guy was blocking escape in that direction. One of them said, “We’ve been looking for you.”

“Okay,” Sanji replied, his eyes darting around the hallway. Nobody stopped to help, in fact most people hardly gave their little conflict more than a passing glance. Maybe it would be best to play dumb, “Why me?”

“You know why,” one replied, and the circle of the three bullies over in a bit closer. Sanji thought to run, but also thought he probably wouldn't get far.

“No, seriously, why? Who do you think I am?”

“You're Sanji, and our friends want to have a couple of words with you,” another said, and Sanji was having difficulty telling them apart.

He put all of his effort into keeping his voice even, “I think you're confusing me for that third year, this isn't the first time it has happened. My name is Rit.”

Sanji had to stop himself short, he almost said Ritten, as it was the first thing that jumped to his mind. One of the bullies started to say, “Well-”

Then the bell rang.

“Gotta go, bye,” Sanji said and rushed out of their reach before they could react. After a few tense seconds of power walking he made it safely to his classroom. Rey couldn't have known what she was saying when she told Sanji to lay low, even the school halls were dangerous. But, he had class to worry about.

He forced himself to focus, and eventually the time for lunch came, which he ate in the classroom. Halfway through the period he got a notification on his phone, it was such an usual thing that he at first didn't realize it was his phone making the noise.

It was a text from a number he didn't recognize, it read:

Sanji, don’t leave school until we get there this afternoon, the central gang will be waiting for you.

It had to be Rey, she would be the only one with his number that knew about his issues with the gangs. Yet how could she know what they were planning?

Still, he was definitely inclined to take the advice, although that would mean having to hide out in school while avoiding Zach and Rett. Just more things to worry and weigh on his mind for the remainder of the school day, by the time the final bell rang his mind was dreary and loaded with fatigue, but the room was quickly empty of students and he could not be caught alone.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Sure enough, just outside the room, one of the guys from the morning stood waiting. Sanji rushed by, hoping to get lost in the rush of students. Fortunately he got by undetected, which only left the difficult tasks of figuring out where to hide. Sanji, not feeling very creative, took shelter in one of the school bathroom stalls. He spent an hour and a half in there.

Oddly enough, it was the most relaxation he had gotten over the past few days. The solitude provided a nice environment to actually get some studying in without being disturbed, and no one even entered the bathroom for the entire duration of his stay. Maybe it would have been better to spend more time in the bathroom…

Sanji’s moments of toilet based tranquility were brought to an end by the high beep of his phone. Another text:

We’re outside, but no sign of them, be careful.

With nothing more to go no than that message Sanji snuck out into the hall. Or at least snuck to the extent that one could do so by simply peeking their head out of the bathroom door, but the coast was clear. In fact, the halls were deserted.

Everyone looked to have gone home for the day, at least until Sanji reached the front door of the school, and then he head shouting. The voices were angry, and Sanji couldn't help but yearn for the calm refuge of the bathroom stall, but he also had a feeling he knew who would be involved in the conflict. And he couldn't just leave the girls to fend for themselves. He had to play the hero, even if he was hopelessly unfit for the role.

Sanji charged out of the front door of the school, and was met with a rather unexpected sight- there was certainly shouting, but it was one sided. Rey stood in front of both Zack and Rett, shouting at them while waving her arms. The rest of the gang members stood around in shocked silence. Eva, Rose, and Niya all stood near the front gate to the school.

Rett and Zach both stood with their eyes cast toward the ground, and they seemed a lot more like children being scolded than any sort of bullies or gang members. Sanji wasn’t sure he wanted to go down and interfere with anything that was going on, but Rey spotted him and waved him over.

Reluctant might not have been a strong enough word for what he felt, but Sanji climbed down the school’s front steps and approached the unlikely trio. Once he was close enough Rey crossed her arms and glared at the two much larger boys, and just like a stern school teacher she said, “Well?”

To Sanji’s amazement both of the bullies turned around, their eyes cast to the ground, and said, “We’re sorry.”

“Good,” Rey coached, but there was a viscous spike to her tone, then in an even more cheerful, more vindictive, tone she said, “Now, Sanji, I want you to hurt them.”

“What?” Sanji, Rett and Zach all exclaimed at once.

“Yes,” she said with a delighted grin, a grin that didn't reach her cold eyes, “Hurt them like they hurt you, no, hurt them worse. They won't do anything, they know that they can,t. Isn't that right, you two? Sanji here can hurt you as much as he wants…”

While all of this was going on Sanji looked desperately around for any sort of intervention, but all he really noticed was that the rest of the gang members had all managed to slink off and disappear, leaving them alone out front of the school.

“We didn't agree on that!” Zach cried out, shaking his mop of blond hair.

“Yeah,” Rett grunted, “We didn't.”

“Shut up, both of you,” she snapped. “Come on, Sanji. That eye still has to hurt, don't you want to get back at them for it?”

“No!” Sanji exclaimed.

The change of expression on Rey’s face was near instantaneous, it went to flat and then confused. She slowly repeated the word, “No?”

“Let’s just get out of here,” he said, edging away from them.

“You're still quite the mystery to me, Sanji.” She stroked her chin, shook her head, ran a hand through her short blond hair, and then shrugged. “Okay, let’s go then.”

She turned and began to walk toward the school gate, Sanji rushed to follow, and Rett just had to be dumb enough to grunt, “That’s what I thought.”

Rey stopped dead in her tracks. Sanji hadn't known her for long, but he knew that Rett had just made an enormous mistake in trying to regain dignity from Rey. She turned back around, a wide grin on her face, one that showed a few too many teeth, “Now…”

Rett seemed to shrink in size, he even took a step back despite being a good distance away. He stammered, “I'm sorry, I didn't mean-”

“Zach,” Rey spoke to the other bully, the one who had tried to skin away while Rett stood frozen. The boy stopped and the sadistic girl continued to speak, “I want you to hurt Rett here.”

“What?” Both of the bullies exclaimed, just as they had a moment prior. At least this time Sanji wasn't involved.

Rey nodded, “I want you to punch Rett a couple times, give him some black eyes to make up for Sanji here. And Rett, you're going to stand there and take it.”

They tried to protest, but Rey cut them off, “Do as I say or those videos find their ways into the wrong people’s hands.”

She had videos on them? Sanji remembered Eva’s story about being blackmailed into a nude rooftop adventure- yes, getting incriminating videos seemed to be Rey’s thing, but she had only had the bullies in her sights for a single day! How could she already push them to such limits?

He wasn't sure that he wanted to know, and he certainly didn't want to see what happened when the bullies gave in to her demands. Sanji turned and began to walk toward the school gate just as Zack let out a wordless shout of aungish, and Rett loud out a cry of pain. There were more shouts, accompanied by the thump of a lunch, but those noises were insignificant to the fits of giggles and laughs coming from Rey.

Sanji glanced back to see her bent over in laughter as Rett fell to the ground clutching his face. Zack stood panting, looking down at his own fist in horror.

This girl was insane.

“Hi Sanji,” He nearly screamed at the voice from behind him. He turned around to stand near face to face with Rose. Their noses nearly touched. She just grinned and said, “It seems the battle here is won, let's go home.”